1. Technical Field
The invention relates to missiles and missile systems.
2. Background of the Realted Art
Previous missile interceptor designs have relied in high altitude flight (HAF) on stability mechanisms of highly dubious reliability, crippling performance constraints, and crushing cost penalties. The previous approaches to stabilizing missiles in HAF include large aerodynamic flares mounted aft that first axially telescoped aft and then deployed radially after second stage separation, large-span folding aero-fins mounted onto a third stage aft airframe that again deployed after second stage separation, and four electro-mechanical canards mounted onto the prior art nosecone. All these aero-stabilizing mechanisms are costly, heavy, complicated to the point that successful operation was questioned, and significantly degrade the kinematic performance of the interceptor. Other more passive options proposed included nosecone aero-spikes, enlarging the current third stage airframe flare to mate with a larger diameter booster, and shifting the interceptor center of gravity with ballast. None of these passive control ideas has proven successful. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that improvements in missile design would be desirable.